Cracks in Opposition, Cong calls AAP BJP's Team B'
AAP was not invited to the May 26 lunch hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
New Delhi: A difference of opinion seems to have surfaced in the ranks of the Opposition over the inclusion of the Aam Aadmi Party into its fold. While many, like the Trinamool Congress and Left parties, want the Arvind Kejriwal-led party to be a part of their united club against the BJP, the Congress is adamant that it be kept out. The Congress maintains that AAP is the BJP’s B team.
“It is the B team of the BJP. They have fought only in states where Congress votes can be cut. In Goa, where Christians were traditional voters of the Congress, they projected a Christian chief ministerial candidate. This resulted in a swing of six per cent votes away from the Congress, which was the edge the BJP had over us,” senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said here on Monday.
Despite the Congress’ misgivings, and their stand that AAP slowly “disintegrating”, sources said that many Opposition parties felt that ignoring AAP does not make any sense and that they will take the initiative of bringing in the AAP.
Though some Opposition leaders have a problem with Mr Kejriwal’s personality-driven politics, the Delhi chief minister is on good terms with Ms Banerjee and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar. He also has supporters in CPI(M).
AAP was not invited to the May 26 lunch hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, which had been called to discuss a joint Opposition presidential candidate as well as explore possibilities of a united front against the BJP in all forthcoming elections.
Though the onus had been put on other parties to invite AAP, all dithered as it did not seem proper to call somebody for a lunch hosted by Mrs Gandhi when she herself wasn’t keen on inviting him.
Questioned about Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee sharing the dias with Mr Kejriwal by during anti-demonisation protests, Mr Maken said: “That is her own personal line”.
The AAP chief had, in April, expressed his willingness to join the Opposition in the fight against BJP after a breakfast meeting with Kerala chief minister and senior CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan here, where he called for an alliance of “all good people”.